New dragons, old wars
by cornthedemigoddragonridingfool
Summary: A new dragon rider, Ethan, and his dragon try to prove themselves in a world of Adults, and choose family or duty.  *Spolier alert* if you have not read inheiritance don't read this!
1. introduction

**New dragons, old wars**

Ethan dreamed of dragons and elves. Oh, how he longed to be part of that world, a world of honor, of courage, of bravery, and of magic. _Where my dad is, _he thought, _just out of reach. _Ethan wanted to be part of that world, not forever stuck, stuck in a world of farmers and dead ends. Here you grew up a farmer and died either a casualty of war or a farmer. How could anyone want that life, Ethan didn't. He wanted his life to mean something, anything. Anything but this.

He was a prince! A prince stuck with his uncle, a once great war hero, too old to do anything but farm… how stupid? His uncle could do anything be anything, but no he chose farming.

"I was born farming, and I will die farming." Ethan's uncles voice echoed through his head. Yes, and he was born a prince, what will he die as?

Ethan opened his eyes. _Stop! Don't think that way! _

Ethan's father was said to be one of the greatest fighters in the whole of the Great War. As fast, as strong, and as agile as an elf, yet not. As furious, powerful, and magical as a dragon, yet not. Ethan wanted to be like his father someday. He was already as strong, agile, and as fast as an elf,(for he was part elf),at only fourteen years old. Not quite a man. Oh, how great it would be, how great he would be. If, only if he wasn't forever stuck here.

Ethan heard something outside his room, his cousin Nicholas walked in."Get up fool! we have chores to do.


	2. unnecessary male ruffness

**A.N ****All rights sadly go to Christopher Paolini, who sadly is not me. I do not, i repeat, DO NOT own Eragon or anyperson, place, or thing from the book. Sadly. **

Ethan got dressed and went to eat with his cousin and uncle. "Morning Ethan." His uncle said unintentionally spitting food at his nephew. Wiping off his face, Ethan replied, then grabbed a peice of salted meat, his hunger slightly lost. "You going to the village this early?" his uncle asked.  
>"Aye. I heard some soldiers are here from Gil'ead. Heard that they are taking recruits!" ethan beamed.<br>His cousin laughed. "You? A soldier! Can't even hurt a deer, you!" Ethan gave Nicholas a sour look, but left without a word.

Starting down the final hill into town from the farm Ethan lived on, he caught sight of a small group or men a few years older than he. Rykar, the leader of the group, had some issue against Ethan and his family. "Ho there!" Ethan tried to be friendly. The group just chuckled. "What is it that you find so amusing? I hate being robbed of a good laugh."  
>"Not a thing, Ethan. Just a travlers tale from this morning in my fathers tavern. He said he knew a tale of your father and uncle. Mostly your father." A breif flash of worry showed and disappered from Ethan's eyes. "He said that your father was killed fighting for Galbatorix, and was killed trying to kill Eragon Shadeslayer in the final battle before Nasuada became queen."<br>Ethans temper boiled over. "That man was not sane! My father was a great man! He knew Queen Nasuada before she was queen! More than that, he helped appoint her leader of the Varden! He was the first person to hear the Queens fathers' last words! My father was, is, twice the man any of you will ever be!"  
>"Your father was the one who was not sane! One thing is for sure, your father had quite an imagonation." One of the others in the group spoke then. It wasn't until Ethan's hand met rykar's face that he realized talking to them wasn't the wisest idea. it was too late though. the fight had already started. All sound ceased, all feeling vanished, all sight beyond the boys disappered. that was, until Ethan was being held back, dragged in to the tavern.<br>"What happened to you, boy?" Adalmund, Ethan's oldest cousin, Ismira's husband said standing from his table, ale in hand. "Ismira, please get your father." She left and Ethan told them what had happed. "So, that" he pointed to Ethan's bleeding cheak, "was all because of a lie told by a boy?" Ethan nodded but didn't answer. "Go see Gertrude and her daughter, we'll talk to Roran later." Ethan stood.  
>"I'll take you to Gurtrude and we can talk there." <em>Blast it!<em> Ethan thought, _Roran is here! _They left together for Gurtrude's house.

"I am sorry for hurting you, Rykar." Ethan said walking in to Gurtrude's house followed by Roran. "Please forgive me." he sat as Gurtrude's daughter, Adora, helped his cheak wound. Rykar apalologized also, then left, a bandage around his arm. "What did I do to him?" He asked the healers.  
>"You twisted his arm bad, and broke his nose." Gurtrude responded. "And you seem to have a good sized gash on your cheak." He sat silent as they cleaned his wound.<p> 


	3. Pain

**A.N. I do not own The Inheritance Cycle and most things related. I don't own anything really, just wish I did. Please R&R. enjoy!**

Ethan sat outside the tavern, listening intently to the many stories being told at once. Ethan closed his eyes, content to just listen. Several hours passed before Ethan reopened his eyes. Night had almost fallen, with only a sliver of sunlight left, when Ethan heard an unfamiliar sound, a soft clank of metal on metal. A few moments later Ethan saw the cause of the noise. Soldiers. They casually walked passed him into the tavern. _So they are here! _Ethan thought_._ _They must be recruiting!_ The soldiers ordered drinks and soon began telling the occupants of the tavern of their adventures. Their tales where not interesting. mostly just of some of the recruits they had to check. "And as we stood there this boy, no older than nine, told us of his dream to protect the queen!" One of the men laughed. "He cried when we told him he was too young!" Ethan reclosed his eyes, continued to listen and thought, _I wonder what they'll think of me. I am also not old enough. _  
>"Hey! Boy!" A new voice called. A pebble hit Ethan's head. "Can you hear me? Get me another drink!" Another pebble bounce of his head. "Listen to me when I talk to you!" Stones rained down on Ethan. He did not move, or even acknowledge the man. He just sat there. He heard heavy footsteps on the old wooden porch. Breath thick with the smell of ale fell on Ethan's face. A deep voice slured an insult. Large hands grabbed the front of his tunic, lifting him up and off the ground. "I told you to get me another drink!"<br>"I heard what you said. I had no intention to heed it." Ethan pushed the man away from him. "I meant that with all the respect deserved of a drunkard!" Ethan turned and started to walk away. The man threw a rock, hitting Ethan's back. Ethan turned. "Will you stop that."Ethan kept his voice as calm as he could, which was not very calm. The man smiled and threw another rock. Then another. Rocks pounded against Ethan, who didn't move at all. Not to avoid the rocks, not to fight the man. Ethan just stood there hoping that the man would tire and stop. Rocks kept beating Ethan's chest, sholders, and arms. Ethan could feel the bruises forming, yet still did not move. He did not move until the unexpected happened. A small stone, no larger than the nail onEthan's little finger, hit him in the least expected and most unprotected place. A pain exploded through Ethan's eye. A pain that he could not belive would come from such a small part of his body. His knees hit the ground, his eyes shut tight, and his hand raised to cover the wounded eye. An unwanted scream burst out of his mouth. an argument between the Man and Ethan's uncle. A gentle voice told Ethan to move his hands and open his eyes. A soft hand pressed a small square on his eye. it was then that Ethan fainted.

When Ethan awoke he was still on the ground outside the tavern. He reached for his wounded eye, only to feel a patch covering it, and a cotton cloth underneath the patch. Standing Ethan saw Roran and the man that hit him still fighting, about what Ethan wasn't sure. His eye hurt beyond thought. Ethan stumbled towards the fight, his legs sore from being bent under him while he slept. The conversation ceased when they saw him. "Uncle, whatever you are fighting about it is not worth it. And you," Ethan turned. "I do not want to see you again. Ever. I will never see from this eye again, because you wanted a beer." His voice was deathly calm. "Please leave. Please do not come back." Ethan left, his bad day even then draining his last reserves of strength. All the wanted to do as rest. Rest and forget all that had happened that day.


	4. This could end badly

**A.N. I do not own Eragon, The Inheritance Cycle, or any related anything. I'm not making money off this; don't plan to, blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. You know the whole spiel.**

Ethan awoke, dressed**, **ate, and started his chores, long before the sun, or his family woke. He started with feeding the few animals his uncle owned. Three pigs, four houses, two oxen. The horses and oxen, he let out to graze. The pigs, he slopped. Then, Ethan checked the crops, - tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, mostly carrots and potatoes, peas, beans, - the herbs- rosemary, basil, mint, parsley. Then he went to gather fire wood. The late fall chill barely seeping into his long accustomed body.  
>Three hours and a very large amount of wood later, Ethan sat at the small table talking to his aunt while she ate. "My chores are finished." He told her.<br>"It's early still. Are you sure of your work?" She asked.  
>He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Yes, Aunt. I am positive." Ethan wanted desperately to go into town. It was late fall. Most of the work he did could be done by one of the hands his uncle hired. He wasn't needed, and his friends had something planed today. "Could I go, please? I'm needed more by Coll than I am here!"<br>"First, lad, only fools are positive, and second, if your truly done with your chores-" His uncle said, his hands resting on his wives shoulders. Ethan jumped up, thanked his uncle, and rushed towards the small town he lived near. "Be home before too late, lad!"

"Ethan! Ho there!" Coll hollered from down the lane. Ethan's tall, older friend was holding a large wooden rod, his hunting knife in his belt.  
>"Nice to see you. What mistake are we making today, mate?" Ethan joked as he clasped Colls hand.<br>"Well, that all depends on what you think mistakes are, mate." Colls smile shown through the stubbly beard trying to grow on his face. "I think mistakes are me, you, Averill, Bentley, and Brayton causing a muck. Are you in?"  
>Ethan looked at his mate. "Where are the others?" He started walking away. "Let's get to it then! You are moving too slow mate." They laughed and tracked their accomplices down.<br>Averill and Brayton were brothers, but where Averill was tough, and large, with rippling muscles from working the land for years, his younger brother was small, weak, and without a muscle on his bones. Bentley lived next to them and was the baker's son. Well fed, but not large, with a descent attitude, and a lively step. Ethan and his pals were a odd group, but everyone knew the five of them, and the mothers in their town got nervous when they started to "have their fun".  
>"So, what are we doing today, mates?" Brayton inclined his head and folded his thin arms across his chest. Everyone nodded in agreement towards Coll, their leader.<br>"The question is, my friends, what will we not do." Coll laughed a laugh that sounded so crazed, yet with a hint of such a genius, that his friends smiled in anticipation for the moments to come.  
>"This could end badly." Ethan decided with a mischevious grin.<p> 


	5. caught

**A.N. If you've read the other chapters, you would know that I do not own anything, so I'm not even going to say it… Enjoy!**

"You ready, boys?" Coll whispered from behind the tent some officers stayed in.  
>"Why are we even doing this?" Ethan asked Bryton. "This isn't taking mead from my cousins! We could get in trouble."<br>"Your guess is as good as mine, mate. None of us can even shoot an arrow!" Bentley added.  
>"That's not why we are doing this! We are proving that we can!" Averill told them. "You don't have to come. We'll just tell everyone that you are as spineless as a blade of grass."<br>With a look of determination Ethan turned to his friends, "I'll get it myself." He slowly moved toward the edge of the tent. "I have an idea, mates. Bryton, keep watch for them." Bryton gave a nervous nod. Ethan climbed a tree with a limb hanging over the tent. "Rope." He tied himself to the tree. "Don't want to fall." He explained to his questioning friends.  
>He slowly moved towards the tent. Opened in the middle for if the soldiers make a fire, Ethan used that whole to his advantage. He jumped. The whole just barely fit his small frame.<br>The bow is in the corner by itself, the arrows near it. Ethan needed both. He slowly moved towards the weapons.  
>"What are you doing here, lad?" A gruff voice asked him. Ethan mumbled a curse and turned towards the voice. "What is it you are doing here?"<br>"I was playing a game with some friends. I thought one of them might be hiding in here, sir. I am very sorry, I'll just leave, sir." He left then tent and cursed again, this time at the sight of his mates being held by other mean looking officers.  
>"Those friends, lad?" The officer behind him asked. "The ones that told us exactly what you were doing in my tent?" Ethan nodded with a look of utter disbelief on his face. <em>They just told them, no torture or anything, just threw me into their arms. Roran is going to kill me.<em> He sighed.

The group of boys was marched into the town center. "Who do these trouble makers belong to?" The lead officer shouted. Clovis walked out of the tavern. Clovis was the old tavern owner's son, and the husband of Ethan's cousin Ismira. Ethan tried to make himself as small and unnoticeable as possible.  
>Clovis saw Ethan immediately. "Ethan!"<br>Ethan cursed again, this time in dwarfish. "IS this one yours?" The office asked Clovis.  
>"No, but I should get my wife. She will know what to do." He told the man, leaving to get Ismira.<br>Ethan saw all his mates leave with their parents. He waited nervously. "If I run now, how far would I get? He asked the officer closest to him. No one talked. It took so long that Ethan thought his family had decided just to leave him there and not even bother. Then he saw Ismira come out of the tavern. She did not look very happy. "Ethan, Clovis went to go get father. They should be here soon. Then we will talk. _  
>I knew this would end badly, <em>was all Ethan could think as he was dragged to the tavern, silently reprimanding himself for being so stupid.


End file.
